"Gonzo" is the definitive film biography of a mythic American writer, particularly covering his most provocative and productive period from 1965 to 1975. His wicked words continue to resonate today, at a time when politicians have become manufactured celebrities, shrouding themselves in Teflon, issuing banalities whose only value is that they rarely offend. Too often, contemporary journalists play the politicians' game, taking them seriously with a balance they don't deserve. Thompson never stood for that. He understood, better than any other, that when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
"Gonzo" is a three-dimensional portrait with a focus on Thompson's work, whose legendary status is due as much to his scintillating writing as his outrageous antics. A die-hard member of the NRA, Thompson was also a coke-snorting, whiskey-swilling, acid-eating fiend. While his pen dripped with venom for crooked politicians, he surprised nervous visitors with the courtly manners and soft-spoken delivery of a Southern gentleman. Careening out of control in his personal life, Thompson also maintained a steel-eyed conviction about righting wrongs. Today, in a time when ?spin? has replaced the search for deeper meaning, Thompson remains an iconic crusader for truth, justice and a fiercely idealistic American way.
Director: Alex Gibney
Writer(s): Not Available
Cast: Johnny Depp, Jimmy Carter, George McGovern, Pat Buchanan, Jann Wenner, Tom Wolfe, Jimmy Buffett, Ralph Steadman
Release Date: July 4, 2008
Official Site: Not Available
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Genre: Documentary
Rating: Not Available 
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